Teamwork
by LickSkillet
Summary: Gold didn't know what to expect when he was told the Professor needed him to run an errand, but he didn't think it would lead to this. Set in Soul Silver. Eventual Gold/Silver


**Author's Note:** No, I'm not playing Pokémon: Soul Silver. Why do you ask?

Yes, this is gay. It's told in the second person perspective simply because that's how the game feels. Oh, right; I'm going from the game plot, and specifically _my_ game plot. So it's canon... but AU at the same time? I chose Cyndaquil, at least. There's going to be more dialogue in the future, but mostly it'll be in these little snippets. Uhm. Enjoy?

**Disclaimer:** Pokémon is the product of Nintendo.

* * *

The first time you meet him, the first thing you notice about him is his fiery red hair. You barely have time to apologize for bumping into him before he's pointing a finger at your Cyndaquil. Yeah, he's from the Professor, you tell him when he asks. Before you can ask him what that has to do with anything – you're on your way back now, the Professor just called and sounded frantic – he's pointing a finger at you and challenging you to a battle.

It's been such a long day, trekking back and forth, having just been handed a Pokémon you wouldn't have thought you'd get until you'd sat down and talked to Elm about it. You're still not used to being challenged, you don't know your Pokémon the way you feel you're supposed to. But still, you can sense there's something different in this guy's challenge, something a lot more personal than a friendly battle.

You haven't lost yet, and you've seen a lot of the same Pokémon, so when he throws out some strange blue lizard thing, your first response is to whip out the Pokédex that Professor Oak gave you. It's a Totodile – odd, isn't that one of the Pokémon that Elm had offered you?

At first you're scared when you command Cyndaquil forward. Totodile is a water Pokémon, and just because Cyndaquil doesn't know any fire moves yet doesn't mean this guy won't soak you.

You get lucky, somehow. The other Pokémon seems to not know his trainer that well – which is saying a lot, since you've only had yours for a few hours – but it's enough to get the upper hand. You suspect your Cyndaquil is a higher level, since it seems to be hitting a bit harder than Totodile hits back. Eventually, you win. There's nothing warm and friendly about this victory, though. The other boy – he seems a bit older than you, a bit taller – stows his Totodile in its pokéball and pushes past you.

He drops his trainer card, which you pick up without a thought. His name is bold across the top, accompanied by his picture. You turn to tell him you've got it, but he's already there, behind you, his eyes dark and angry. He snaps at you for taking it, reading his name, before he snatches it back and then he's gone.

* * *

When you walk into Elm's lab, the air is tense. Things seem a bit out of place; papers on the floor, books fallen from the shelves. The little rotating disc upon which you took your first Pokéball has two opened balls now, from the one that had contained your Cyndaquil. You feel something settle thick in your gut.

There's a policeman, and he automatically pins you for the thief. You don't get the chance to deny his allegation before Lyra bursts in. You've seen her around today, and she's been around from when you were kids. She's always had a Marill, as long as you can remember, following her around. Today is no exception.

"Stop!" she shouts as she passes through the doorway, marching up to the cop. "I saw who did it. It wasn't Gold, I swear!"

You're not even sure what's happened. No one has taken the time to tell you why you're here, or what you've even been accused of.

"The thief was a boy with red hair," Lyra explains. Before you can think you rush forward and explain to the cop that you saw the thief. At first, you expect to be scolded for not taking him down when you saw him, but no one can accuse you of not-stopping someone you didn't know you had to stop. You can even give them his name.

"Silver."

* * *

You don't see Silver for a while after that first encounter. To be perfectly honest, you soon forget about him in favor of catching new Pokémon and training to beat Falkner. After you make the trek to Violet City, a few new teammates in tow, you find yourself daunted by the idea of defeating a Gym Leader. You've barely been a trainer for a week, but you're convinced that you can do it, and your Pokémon seem excited by the prospect.

However, before you're allowed in to face Falkner, you're forced to scale Sprout Tower, a creaking, shaking tower of wood filled with Ghastly and Rattata, along with a few sagely men who insist that they're helping you, somehow.

You survive the slew of trainer battles easier than you'd thought you would, and just as you approach the final man at the top floor, someone with fiery red hair slips past you, the air around him angry and electric. Was that—But you don't get the chance to so much as turn around before the final sage is calling you to battle.

oOo

You beat Falkner easily, thanks to your new Mareep, who's way stronger than his appearance gives him credit for. It's a close battle just the same, and you and your team are high on adrenaline in the aftermath. You run outside to catch the badge in the sunlight, cheering like some stupid kid. It's just… this badge _means_ something. It's proof that you're actually a good trainer, not some wannabe who got lucky a few times against some washed out trainers.

Your team is a solid triple-threat; Cyndaquil, Pidgey and Mareep. With the confidence of a winner and the weight of your first badge in your jacket, you push forward. Your Mareep is a great advantage against the fishing trainers you find on your way to Azalea Town.

There's not much of break when you reach Azalea Town, however. You go to meet Kurt, who can apparently make Pokéballs out of Apricorns, but the minute you start talking to him he rushes off to help some of the Slowpoke who are being attacked down in a nearby well. His little … grandchild, niece, daughter? She urges you to follow him, so you do.

Kurt's hurt himself in trekking down the well, so it's all up to you to stop Team Rocket. Even with Cyndaquil confident and steady at your side, your palms still sweat as you traverse the rocky cave in search of the perpetrators. By now you have the whole story; Team Rocket has come back from a three-year-hiatus, and they've started out by chopping the tails off of Slowpoke to sell at outrageous prices. You feel the anger in your gut boil when you hear this, but it's not enough to remove the quaver from your voice as you confront a handful of Team Rocket grunts in quick succession.

Against all odds you reach the man in charge, named Proton. It's a weird name, but he's older than you and you feel intimidated by him, funny name and all. He turns out to be a pushover, but you don't know whether that's due to your Pokémon being strong or his being weak.

You're not done yet, though. You barely have time to rest at the Center before the townspeople are urging you to defeat Bugsy, the town's Gym Leader, and there's even a rumor going around that Bugsy has asked to see you, specifically. How can you say 'no' to that?

After facing Proton, Bugsy is a welcome challenge. You have a type advantage again, between your killer three, but it's still hard. His Scyther hits hard and fast, and it's hard enough for your team to keep out of his reach, let alone land a blow or two. However, you don't disappoint him. Exhausted, you receive the Hive Badge glowing with pride, not for yourself, but for your team. They haven't let you down, and the least you can do to return the favor is to stay in the Pokémon Center for a while.

After a bit of very much deserved R&R, you and your team head towards the Ilex Forest, only to be stopped by someone shouting your name.

"Gold,"

"Silver!"

He's not any more friendly or welcoming than you remember. The air seems to crackle around you both when you lock eyes. Suddenly, you start thinking of this guy as your rival, someone you have to do better than. It's a strange, new thought for you; you've never really been all that competitive. You wonder fleetingly why Silver hasn't been caught and his Pokémon confiscated. He is a thief, after all.

The expected battle ensues. Silver has a few new Pokémon as well, but you somehow manage to beat him, again. Not that its easy by any means; you and he have Pokémon that both seem to really pull for their trainers, want to please and want to win. You almost lose it when Totodile uses water gun at Cyndaquil, but he's fast, you learn, as your heart lodges itself in your throat and he sidesteps the stream just in time.

Silver doesn't seem very happy at the idea of losing to you _again_. He scoffs and claims you just had luck on your side, that he and his team are still exhausted from having beaten Bugsy. Before you can get a word in edgewise, he's pushing past you again and disappearing into the trees.

* * *

**End Notes:** Again, I tend to have nasty little spell errors and things lying about, feel free to point them out! I'm in need of a Beta, if anyone wants to do that.


End file.
